Orthodontic treatment standards in a public group practice in Sweden

The aim was to assess the orthodontic treatment service provided by 6 orthodontists in a group practice in Malmö. One hundred cases were randomly selected from the model store. The Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need (ICON) was used to assess the need, complexity of the problem, outcome, the degree of improvement and whether the completed case was acceptable or not. The reliability of the examiner using the ICON was assessed using Root Mean Square. Logistic regression analysis was employed to explore the variables related to acceptability of the finish and duration of treatment. The younger the patient at the start of treatment the lower initial ICON score, with short treatment duration were associated with an acceptable finish. Three out of 100 cases were deemed as not requiring orthodontic treatment and 36 cases were classified as very difficult to treat. Nevertheless, 71 cases out of the 100 exhibited acceptable finishes with 27 indicating substantial or great improvement. 6 cases finished treatment with ICON scores greater than 43 indicating need for orthodontic treatment. The treatment on average took 22 months. An objective appraisal of the quality of orthodontic care in a group practice in Malmö has been undertaken. Seventy-one cases were completed with acceptable occlusions. The Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need appears to be a valuable tool to assess the multiple facets of orthodontic provision.